Lipoedema Liposuction

FAQs | Costs | Book An Appointment

Lipedema, Obesity, Symmetrical limb enlargement, adiposa dolorosa

Lipodema is a disorder that is frequently misdia­gnosed and almost exclusive to women, it is char­ac­ter­ised by painful depos­ition of fat (adipose) tissue under the skin in the upper and lower extremities. There is often a familial tend­ency in Lipedema.

The depos­ition is often symmetric, progressive and spares the ankle and feet and gener­ally spares the hands in the upper limb, the cuff sign is seen when the fat deposits begin abruptly over the ankle region.

The onset of this problem can begin with the menstrual cycle or around preg­nancy or meno­pause. The exact cause of this problem is not known.

As the problem worsens the skin overlying these areas bruises very easily and can go from smooth to bumpy to looking like an orange peel with folds on it. Lipedema is also asso­ci­ated with over­loading on the knee and other lower limb joints, discom­fort due to rubbing of the inner thigh. The areas of fatty deposit are often painful. It can also have a severe impact on the patients mental well­being due to dispro­por­tion­ately large disfig­uring enlarge­ment of hips and limbs compared to the rest of the torso.

While commonly confused with obesity, it is very diffi­cult or nearly impossible to lose weight from Lipedema affected limbs by dieting. When asso­ci­ated with Obesity, Lymphedema can develop in the later stages of Lipedema.

Lipedema can often be confused with condi­tions like Lymphedema, Benign Lipohypertrophy, Dercum’s disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different stages of Lipodema / Lipedema?

The disease is classed into stages using the changes in the skin and the feel and visib­ility of the fat deposits under it. Stage 1 has a general smooth thick­ening of the skin, Stage 2 shows a wavy walnut like indur­a­tion of irreg­u­lar­ities in the skin like a mattress, Stage 3 the fatty swelling now starts forming lobes and folds that will hang above the knees and mid-thigh. In Stage 4 there is an addi­tional devel­op­ment of lymph­edema (blockage of lymph flow) the disease is then called Lipolymphedema, in general the lymph­atic component worsens after approx­im­ately 10 years of the onset of the Lipodema / Lipedema process.

Another way of clas­si­fying the disease is by the distri­bu­tion of the fat depos­ition Saddle bags, buttocks to knees, buttocks to ankles, arms or just the lower leg.

What is the treatment of Lipodema / Lipedema? 

Treatment can be broadly classed as Conservative and Surgical.

In the Conservative treat­ments Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) using a compres­sion garment or compres­sion wrap­ping with or without Complex Decongestive Physiotherapy (CPD). Dry brushing, Deep Breathing Exercises, Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) can also be used to improve Lymphatic Flow. Keeping the weight steady by regular exer­cise (low impact) and building muscles will help. Getting emotional support by joining patient groups also is important.

Other conser­vative meas­ures include a healthy diet that reduces inflam­ma­tion, In the Surgical treat­ments, Super-wet Tumescent Liposuction with our without PAL (Power Assisted Liposuction) or VASER (Ultrasound assisted Liposuction) has revolu­tion­ised the treat­ment of Lipoedema / Lipedema and can give permanent long lasting results in redu­cing the fatty deposits, improving the contours and patient body image.

Costs

Please visit Reforme Medical Cardiff, to consult with Dr Prashant Murugkar to find out more.